Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season (A J!-ENT DVD Review

December 1, 2009 by Dennis Amith 

Definitely a comedy-driven sitcom with crazy hijinks, sexual tension and just outright funny.  “Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season” is a fun DVD set worth checking out!

Images courtesy of © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season

DURATION: 13 Episodes (299 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Widescreen (1:78:1), 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Dolby Surround, Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French and Portuguese

COMPANY: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

RATED: PG (Mature Theme)

RELEASE DATE:  December 1, 2009

Created by Victor Fresco

Directed by Michael Fresco, Michael Spiller, Marc Buckland, Paul Lazarus

Written by Victo Fresco, Michael Teverbaugh, Michal Glouberman, Dan O’Shannon, Michael A. Ross

Produced by Marc Solakian

Co-Executive Produced by Justin Adler, Michael Glouberman, Dan O’Shannon, Michael A. Ross, Michael Teverbaugh

Consulting Producer: Michael Freco

Music by Scott Clausen, Christopher A. Lee

Cinematography by Brandon Mastrippolito and Sharone Meir

Edited by Noel Rogers, Rob Bramwell, Lis Bromwell

Casting by Laura Adler, Jill Anthony

Production Design by Dawn Snyder

Set Decoration by Diane Yates

Costume Design by Brandy Lusvardi

Starring:

Jay Harrington as Ted

Portia de Rossi as Veronica

Andrea Anders as Linda

Jonathan Slavin as Phil

Malcolm Barrett as Lem

Isabella Acres as Rose

Maz Jobrani as Dr. Bhamba

Rizwan Manji as Rick

Terry Rhoads as Chet

As head of research and development at Veridian Dynamics, good guy Ted Crisp (Harrington) leads a quirky team of the world’s smartest scientists on a mission to make the impossible possible. From cow-less meat to deadly pumpkins, no project is too bizarre, or too unethical, as long as it’s profitable. Working to appease his beautiful boss (DeRossi), Ted struggles occasionally with his conscience — and his attraction to a comely co-worker (Anders) — but it’s all in a day’s work when you’re Better Off Ted.

In 2009, executive producer Victor Fresco (consulting producer of “My Name is Earl” and executive producer of “Andy Richter Saves the Universe”) unveiled his single-camera sitcom “Better Off Ted” in Spring 2009 on ABC.

The series revolves around a company, Veridian Dynamics which creates various products in the world (for home and for military) and focuses on the Research and Development department headed by Ted Crisp.  Each episode, we see various products/ideas being developed by the scientists.  From experiments which include freezing one of their employees, pumpkins that can be used for warfare, goo that ignites on contact with paper to bunnies used as weapons, Veridian Dynamics is a company that will develop anything that their clients ask for.  These products are implemented under the direction of Ted’s emotionless boss Veronica and the research and development is overseen by Ted and then later tested courtesy of the Testing Department headed by Linda.

What makes the series so entertaining is the fact that Veronica is a no-nonsense, emotionless boss who only cares about making money for the company.  Ted, although the R&D director sides with his boss and the company but yet morally, his perspective is kept in check by his young daughter Rose.  Meanwhile, there is sexual tension between Ted and Linda, while the lab scientists provide the comic relief by developing the craziest experiments that typically has some interesting side effects.

The series is shot mostly during at work inside the building of Veridian Dynamics but the hijinks that happens during each day at work is quite fun, hilarious and just outright crazy.  “Better Off Ted” was nominated by Entertainment Weekly’s “Ewwy Award” for “Best Comedy” Series and a second season was greenlighted and will begin airing on December 2009.  And just in time before the second season premiere, “Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season” is now available on DVD via  2-DVD set featuring all 13 episodes.

“Better Off Ted” features the following characters:

Ted Crisp (played by Jay Harrington, “Private Practice”, “Desperate Housewives”) – The head of research and development for Veridian Dynamics.  He is dedicated to the company and raises his young daughter Rose (who tends to give him a logical perspective of what he does at his job and tends to question the company’s decision-making/creative ideas).  Ted has had a sexual rendezvous with his boss Veronica but finds himself getting close to Linda from the Testing Department.

Veronica Palmer (played by Portia de Rossi, “Ally McBeal”, “Arrested Development”, “Nip/Tuck”) – The emotionless boss who is dedicated to running the company.

Linda Katherine Zwordling (played by Andrea Anders, “Joey”, “The Class”) – Works for the Testing Department at Veridian.  Tries to keep her composure with some of the R&D tests done for the company.  Writing a children’s book and also steals coffee creamer to deal with stress.  Has feelings towards Ted.

Phil Myman (played by Jonathan Slavin, “My Name is Earl”, “Race to Witch Mountain”) – An intelligent scientist working in R&D who allowed Veridian to try a freeze test on him for a year but because he was thawed out incorrectly, has a problem with screaming in public (and not remembering any of it). Very emotional.

Lem Hewitt (played by Malcolm Barrett, “Luis”, “The Highs & Lows of Milo Brown”) -  An intelligent scientist at Veridian.  More logical and tends to get into debates with Phil.

A total of 13 episodes are included on two DVD’s.  Included are (note: spoiler-less summaries):

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 1 – PILOT – Veridian wants to freeze Phil for a year to test out a cryogenic chamber.  Meanwhile, Ted gets to know Andrea from the Testing Department.
• EPISODE 2 – HEROES – Veronica asks Ted to fire Phil because of his annoying squawking (a side effect from the improper thawing of his body from the last episode).
• EPISODE 3 – THROUGH ROSE COLORED HAZMAT SUITS – Ted brings his daughter Rose to his work but for some reason, his daughter is bonding with Linda.
• EPISODE 4 – RACIAL SENSITIVITY – The security at Veridian Dynamics seems to not work on Black people and thus doesn’t work on Lem.  Meanwhile, Linda has a boyfriend.
• EPISODE 5 – WIN SOME, DOSE SOME. – Linda is exposed to an experimental energy patch that looks like a band-aid and suffers from side effects.  Meanwhile, Ted helps his daughter in a competition but Veronica tries to help out as well.
• EPISODE 6 – GOODBYE MR. CHIPS – Ted accidentally erases his employee record and because of that, loses his job and must now must re-apply for his position.  Now Linda must temporarily take on the leadership role and work with the scientists.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 7 – GET HAPPY – Veronica is told by her superiors to improve company morale, so she must make changes in the office, including being nice to the employees.
• EPISODE 8 – YOU ARE THE BOSS OF ME – Ted wants to get closer to the scientists Lem and Phil and so he joins their Medieval Fight Club.
• EPISODE 9 – BIOSHUFFLE -  Toxic ooze starts to flow in the office causing a disruption of work at Veridian Dynamics.
• EPISODE 10 – TRUST AND CONSEQUENCES – Veridian Dynamics is being sued for a perfume which causes insects to attack the women wearing it.  So, each of the main members are under investigation.
• EPISODE 11 – FATHER, CAN YOU HAIR ME? – The lab starts testing on a hair-growth product (which goes out of control) while Veronica hears sad news about her father (CEO of a rival company) and tries to have a father and daughter relationship.
• EPISODE 12 – JABBERWOCKY – Linda believes the whole office is going eco-friendly because of a Viridian commercial of going green.
• EPISODE 13 – SECRETS AND LIVES – A Veridian invention which takes an image of a person and scans the Internet of private photos reveals some images of Veronica with a magician.  Meanwhile, Linda tries to set Ted up on a date witha  friend.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season” is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1).  The sitcom is filmed via single camera and has a fine layer of grain.  During the Veridian Dynamics commercials, because those commercials use stock video, you see the compression artifacts quite a bit but fortunately the commercials are short.  For the most part, the sitcom is on par with other comedy sitcoms on DVD.

Audio is featured in English 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish Dolby Surround.  The series is mostly front and center channel driven.  Dialogue is clear and understandable and the music from the series sounds crystal clear.  My preference was to have my receiver on stereo on all channels.

Subtitles are included in English SDH, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season” box set does not contain any special features.

“Better Off Ted” is definitely a fun sitcom and personally, I like the awkwardness of the whole series.  A sitcom based on a research and development company is actually quite fascinating to me and to see how they could make a comedy series based on the experiments that go on at these companies can definitely lead to some fun and awkward storylines.

Every episode for the first season has been quirky, campy and fun.  Portia de Rossi does a great job in playing Veronica, the emotionless boss at Veridian Dynamics.   Jay Harrington as Ted Crisp, the R&D director who is caught between what the company wants and what is right, especially when his daughter is the one who gets into his moral conscience and reminding him of what is right.  Andrea Anders as Linda of the Testing Department has had her share of interesting roles in “Joey” and “The Class”.  The employee who believed in Veridian Dynamics and starting to learn how the company she thought was great is actually quite immoral in some ways.  And finally the comedy relief comes from the two scientists, the emotional Phil (John Slavin) and the logical Lem (Malcolm Barrett).

Part of my favorite episodes in the first season include the first two episode in which Phil is froze for scientific testing for the company, “Father, Can You Hair Me?” featuring Veronica trying to have a relationship with her father and hair growing from Ted’s desk, “Through Rose Colored Hazmat Suits” featuring Ted’s daughter Rose bonding with Linda which makes Ted and Linda’s sexual tension much more awkward and “Racial Sensitivity” which was just hilarious.

As for the DVD release of “Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season”, my only disappointment with this set is the fact that there are no special features included.  You would hope there would be some featurette, some commentary, anything or something but there’s nothing.

But aside from that, I really enjoyed the first season of the series.  It’s crazy, fun and definitely stands out from other comedy sitcoms currently on television.  Overall, “Better Off Ted” is a fun series, sometimes clever, sometimes campy but for the most part, definitely keeps things quite fun and enjoyable. If you enjoyed the series or even a few episodes and watch a comedy-based series, definitely give “Better Off Ted – The Complete First Season” a try!